Dizziness

Answer: There are many possible causes of dizziness. It is important to have the issue resolved as soon as possible to reduce the risk of falling, and to be able to return to your regular activities.

The inner ear can contribute to dizziness. Calcium carbonate crystals in the inner ear may be jarred loose by head trauma, or can loosen spontaneously and move into one or multiple semicircular canals of the inner ear. If they are in the incorrect place of the inner ear, this will give the sensation of the room spinning.

A specialized treatment called “canalith repositioning therapy” can be used to move the crystals into a larger space in the inner ear and the body will reabsorb the crystals. This therapy is usually very successful.

The number of sessions depends on the severity of the issue.

An audiologist can also perform a test using the patient’s eye movement to learn about the status of the inner ear. The test, which requires a referral from a medical doctor or doctor of osteopathy, is non-invasive and takes about 1.5 hours to complete. Results will be sent to the referring physician to determine whether the inner ear is contributing to the patient’s dizziness.